Dead Hearts
by crazylittlecheezer
Summary: They moved forward and my heart died; they were kids that I once knew. I can say it but you won't believe me - you can say it but you don't deceive me - it's hard to know you're out there - it's hard to know you still care - dead hearts are everywhere...


**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or the characters there in!**

**Pardon My Dust**

**Chapter One**

Dust fell all around and slowly shifting support beams were whining in the strained air. Mai was coughing quite violently, choking on the thick and now impure oxygen around her. Mai's heart was racing, but for a brief period she could not remember why. Then suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks. She had been in the kitchenette of the SPR office heating up Naru's hourly tea fix. She had blended his favorite brew, a stout and black Earl Grey, which in Mai's opinion was pure rubbish. She had to add about ten spoonfuls of sugar and half a cup of milk to make it even half drinkable. Mai often found herself either cringing or gagging when Naru would take a giant gulp of the ghastly stuff in her presence just to spite her.

_She remembered coming out of the kitchenette and into the main area of the office. Stopping for a moment she made sure to take note of one of the pieces of artwork on the wall which was crooked; making a quick memo to fix it at a later time. Mai took a deep breath, gently tapped her fist on the door of Naru's office and entered the dark abyss. To be honest, Mai was not sure why she referred to it as "the dark abyss" because in all honesty, Naru's office was always very well lit. In fact the few times she had stayed late doing homework and forgotten to turn on her desk light Naru had been all over her and her idiocy._

_Mai calmed herself and smiled, "Here is your two o'clock tea Naru. I hope you enjoy the black tar in your cup as much as I will enjoy not having to smell it anymore."_

_Naru eyed her silently and smirked as he took the cup and proceeded to take a giant gulp of tea, "I will Mai," he almost chuckled at her reaction, but managed to keep his stony exterior unexposed._

"_Naru I just do not under - " Mai cut herself off as she heard a very strange sound and turned around abruptly when she sensed Naru stand all of a sudden, "Well at least I am not crazy…I thought I was hearing things."_

"_Quiet!" Mai hushed with a blush across her face with Naru's curt and abrupt demand._

_The sound was heard again and Mai had to guess it was most likely the strangest thing she had ever heard. It almost sounded like a car sliding up against another car. Suddenly Mai felt an urgent sense of dread wash over her and she looked at Naru. She was shocked to see his eyes wide with an almost feral sense of worry. She had never seen him look so unnerved by anything in the nearly two years she had worked for him and she was instantaneously alert._

"_Naru," Mai started slowly almost afraid to breathe, her voice shaking with fear of the unknown, "What is going on?"_

_Naru was pulled out of his stupor instantly by her soft, yet urgent question. His brain was in a state of panicked contemplation. He knew two things for certain. The first was the odd sound they were hearing was steel either shifting or breaking and second they did not have enough time to flee the building save a sudden gift of human teleportation. _

_Naru was an intelligent man. He was witty and logical, but no logical thought was going to help him fix the situation. No ghost hunting skills or books were going to aide him in saving their lives and no amount of his power would be able to stave off a building of such weight and size. Naru quickly looked and Mai and before he even quite knew what he was doing he had climbed over the desk and almost violently grabbed the girl in front of himself by the arm. He knew the only chance they would have in surviving was to be in the center of the building away from all the heavy stone walls, "Mai…trust me…"_

Mai shook her head slightly and wished she hadn't. Her neck immediately pinched itself and she let out a soft yelp. She would not be able to twist her head for a while. Quietly she took a quick inventory of all her limbs and was relieved to be able to find she was capable of at least feeling all of them. She sighed and suddenly the realization that Naru had been in the collapse with her struck her brain.

"Naru…Naru…NARU!" Mai paused after saying his name and then screamed it in fear. She had honestly never found herself in a situation where Naru had not been able to protect her fully and was terrified at the prospect of him be severely injured or worse dead altogether, "Come on Naru…if you can hear me please say something…anything…I…I need to know you are okay!"

Mai looked around her bleak surroundings as best she could. She was thankful the building was only two stories. There were bits of light which were easily poking through the rubble, but she was securely pinned to it. She knew she would not be able to move without help. Mai was immediately alert when she heard a slight shift closer then she first expected and a soft, "Ma-Mai…" come to her ears.

"Naru – thank goodness you are okay!" Mai's voice was laced with relief and she audibly released the air she did not realize she had been holding in.

Naru sighed heavily and began to remember the events leading up to their current situation as well. He remembered Mai's fearful eyes and her the way her body shook right before the building gave way and collapsed. He remembered wrapping his arms around her but being pulled apart as the rubble began to pile around them. He remembered pain and then darkness.

Naru tried to shift his body but quickly ceased his movements and cried out briefly in pain which alerted Mai's attention almost immediately.

"Naru! Are you alright?" Panic was evident in her tone.

"Mai I – I've been injured," Naru visibly winced and took a deep breath, "Ca-can you get to your cell phone?"

"No, I am pinned down, but…well…" Mai spoke softly, "Let me try to move my legs…here we…"

As the rubble shifted Naru felt pain he did not even know was possible as the weight on the rubble above him shifted too, "No NO MAI STOP!" Naru's voice urged the girl to immediately stop moving and quiet herself, "Tha-thank you…" Naru was breathing heavily and he could feel his shirt and suit coat slowly getting damper beneath him. He reckoned he had an open wound of some kind. It was difficult to accurately survey his current person, but he prayed help would come sooner rather than later. He was not sure how long he would be able to stand the pain and how long he would have before his body gave out completely.

Mai was not unaware of Naru's heavy breaths and she contemplated what to do. She was certain he was probably trying to figure out the best way out of the situation but as she listened more intently she could hear his breaths becoming more labored and she could hear an almost groan with each one. Mai realized he was in pain and her guess was the pain was most likely pretty unbearable. If he had been able to, Naru would have already been consoling her and telling her help would come. Mai felt awful. Here she was pinned to the ground but considerably alright, save for her pinched nerve in her neck and Naru was in severe pain. She really was an idiot.

"Naru," she paused thinking about what to say, "It is going to be alright. Help will come. I mean, who won't notice an entire building falling down?" Mai's attempt at humor went unnoticed by her boss who was focusing more and more on just breathing.

Mai was babbling and Naru rolled his eyes slightly, but could not deny the fact her voice was comforting. He found himself pulled away from her voice, however. His thoughts began to take on a mind of their own and he was not sure if he was even still alive or dead. He attempted to focus his vision but found himself swimming in a sea of ink. Finally, after what seemed like hours or days, he began to see something take shape in front of himself.

Naru felt his eyes go wide and tears brim the rims of each ocean colored orb, "Gene…" Naru's voice was shaky and he gently reached out a hand to touch what he was sure could not really be there. It was impossible, after all, for his brother to be standing right in front of him. Naru recoiled his hand immediately when it came into contact with cold skin, but Naru's warm hand was caught by a cold, pale hand before it could get too far and returned to the cheek it had longed to touch for so long.

"Oliver…" Gene's voice was soft and comforting, the same in timbre and pitch to Naru's, but soft and inviting, "…it has been a long time brother."

Naru was beside himself and before he could fall, he found himself in Gene's strong arms sobbing. He was sobbing for all the many days he had gone without tears. The hundreds of hours and minutes he had been frustrated, he sobbed for the funeral and burial of his brother's remains and he sobbed at the sheer joy of being able to hug his brother once more, something he was sure he would never again do in his life.

Gene let him cry. He knew his younger brother needed it. Naru had always been the strong one. Emotionally sound. Like a Christmas box too tightly wrapped. One knew there was something miraculous beneath the exterior but getting to it might be more trouble than just leaving it be. Gene knew his brother was terrified of losing love of any kind. It was the reason behind the way he had always remembered him. They had both been very young when their true parents were killed and Oliver had never quite been the same after that sad day. Luella and Martin were blessings in their lives and Gene knew Oliver loved them as much as he had loved their real parents, but Gene also knew his younger brother was terrified of letting it show.

"You know you started crying in front of her right…" Naru sniffed and pulled himself together.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were in pain before you passed out…" Gene carefully continued, "…you were buried alive under the office building. Do you understand why you are here with me right now Oliver?"

Naru's eyes widened in stark realization, "Am I d-"

"No, little brother," Gene shook his head reassuringly, "at least, not yet anyway. You are in a sort of limbo right now. I am afraid you were injured quite badly in the collapse and your body is trying to decide if it can go on. It of course, is not really up to your body Oliver. Your spirit and soul and heart have to want to fight," Gene paused and sat on a chair Naru did not remember seeing before, "I was honestly quite shocked to find you here in the limbo mists – mediums always, spiritualists on occasion, trapped or lingering spirits you betcha, little brothers never."

Naru felt Gene's eyes observe him carefully and almost felt a blush overcome him. He was confused and happy and frightened and cold and warm and everything all at once. He was showing emotion he swore he would never display again and he was, dare he think it, overjoyed to be in the presence of his brother. Not a mirror image or talking reflection, his actual full bodied brother, "Why am I here Gene?"

"Tsk, tsk little brother…" Gene eyed him playfully, "…that would be telling, now wouldn't it."

Naru felt his face twist into one of frustration, "Eugene – I hardly think this is the time for playing childish games!"

"Oh it isn't…indeed not!"

"EUGENE!"

"OLIVER!"

Naru found himself silenced by his elder brother. It was not often Eugene raised his voice and Naru knew better then to tempt him into anger. He had been swatted and poked and smacked enough when they were younger to know Eugene meant business.

"You are here because your spirit has unfinished business. I too am here because there is unfinished business I am still addressing, "Gene stood and hushed his younger brother with two fingers on his lips, "Before you start having a seizure, seriously, let me explain. I am a perfect medium, or at the very least, the most perfect of mediums Mother and Father had yet to find. I was able to sense spirits in all forms and communicate with them easily. I met them in my sleep and to me, while living; spirits were just as normal as humans."

Naru eyed his brother intently and shook free of his fingers upon his mouth as Gene continued.

"You see I came to Japan because I could sense another medium of my caliber and I knew without a second thought they were unaware of their powers. I did not realize what would happen if I shouldered the burden of finding this person. I did not know I would anger anyone or cause them such trauma they would hit me with a car and throw my body into a bloody lake," Gene paused and laid a reassuring hand on Naru's shoulder, "Anyway, after I died my spirit was immediately dragged to this life force and I didn't understand it at first. I had never been a perfect medium and dead at the same time. It was after I met this medium via her dreams that I began to understand I had a greater purpose then just being alive. I was meant to help her. To guide her. To share her dreams and nightmares and help her understand she isn't crazy but gifted."

Naru was visibly shaken by his older brother's words and Eugene embraced him again and did not continue till he felt Naru's arms slowly snake around his body.

"It was no accident, you meeting Mai Naru. Just as it was no accident I met her in her dreams. I had no idea she even had contact with you until she started calling me Naru. I fancied she must have seen you in real life because why would she be able to recognize me without someone to reference? I was struggling in the abyss before her light warm my cold spirit. I was lost. I mean…well…bloody hell," Gene strengthened his embrace around Naru, "I had the briefest of moments before the end where I wondered what the hell it was all for? Why had I lived…to do a whole lot of nothing? To be a bloody ingrate who was often times smarter than my own good, a reckless half-wit running on a wild goose chase? When faced with certain death one has an innate and overwhelming want to be sure that their life mattered. I didn't have that till Mai Oliver."

Naru pulled away from his brother gently and set his eyes to the ground, "I said such horrible things…"

"It doesn't matter…"

"I told her she loved you…"

"She will forgive you…"

"I treated her unfairly…"

"All is fair in love and war…"

Naru lifted his head, tears once again brimming his eyes, "I love her Gene…" he held back a sob, "…she is the only thing that makes me happy anymore. She reminds me so much of you…"

"That is okay Oliver – you have to move on. You have to mean something in the world. You have to fulfill your purpose…" Gene smiled brightly, "…there are plenty of dead hearts in the world Oliver. Don't become one of them - you know what you have to do Oliver. You have known for a long time. I mean seriously, what other person, besides Mai would have put up with such a pampas, good for nothing, son of a horse's ass for so long if she didn't still love you? Seriously little brother, I sometimes wonder if God gave you marmalade for emotions and load of bullshit for brains."

Naru punched Gene's arm but could not help the laugh which emitted from his mouth.

"That's the spirit Oliver, no pun intended…" Gene smiled and nodded his head slightly, "…God speed little brother and know I am always with you, in your heart and in Mai's."

Naru nodded and was about to reach out for Gene when suddenly he was pulled by an unknown force. It felt like a wind tunnel was pushing him through the ocean or the gravity free sky. Before he quite knew what had happened Naru felt himself attempting to lift his now heavy eyelids. He managed to one open, but the other was not cooperating at all and he couldn't help but feel a sudden urge of frustration as he tried his best to pry it open. His open eyelid was not very productive because the blinding light above him was absolutely impeding focus.

Naru was grateful when the lights suddenly dimmed and he found himself confused. He remembered being with Gene, but not much else. He did not understand why he was now being greeted by his mother and father's worried eyes. Though he could not see them, he was sure Madoka and Lin were close by, if not in the room.

"Thank the Lord! Noll! You are awake!" Naru could pick out his Mother's fretful tone, but it sounded very loud and piercing. That was right…he had been buried beneath the office building and suddenly his good eye widened and his heart started racing. He attempted to speak but found something hindering it in his throat. It was at that moment Naru realized he was hooked up to a ventilator but he didn't care. He needed to know if Mai was alright. Had she survived? Was she okay? Was she hurt?

Naru felt as though his heart might beat out of his chest and with the quickened pace of his heart he also had an onslaught of pain. He did not notice it after waking, but with the added stress it soon caught up with him. He let out a strangled sound mixed with his mother's worried sob. He felt a foreign hand touch his right arm and then a burning sensation followed by a slow and agonizing darkness, which at second though was not so bad.

**So I thought I would try something new. I know some of you probably thought I had died. I am going to finish Chrysanthemum Sunrise, I promise! I had to take a little hiatus and recollect myself and my thoughts. I did not want to burn out and I promise I am back with a bang. I have a full time job now and I am quite busy, but I promise I won't disappoint! Let me know if you all are still interested in Chrysanthemum – I will finish it either way but I want to see what the interest level is! This is a two-shot so I will have part two posted in the next couple of days! Please read and review! I am not sure where this idea came from but I hope you have enjoyed it so far!**


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